Now that you’ve been warned in pg.7 …..
“Let not the foot of pride come upon me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.” (Psalm 36:11)
In other words: Lord, keep us humble, and do not let Satan prevent us from knowing the truth about prophecies and blessing given to the descendants of Abraham. Page 7 is the longest read there has been so far. Page 8 is for refreshment.
Jacob, on his deathbed, had parting words of spiritual significance for each of his sons. Joseph’s children, Ephraim and Manasseh, were adopted by Jacob in order to receive a full inheritance in the land promised to him by God. Ephraim received the blessing of the Birth Right, Judah received the Scepter and his descendants would rule until Jesus came.
Then came the seemingly insurmountable problems after the tribes were split into two kingdoms. The ten northern tribes, called the house of Israel, were divorced by God because of their idolatry. Ephraim and his brothers were conquered. Killed by sword and famine, taken away as captive or scattered into nations they did not know. This divorce ended in eviction from the promise land.
The house of Judah was without excuse, they saw what God did to His first-born. Judgement came and the line of Davidic kings appeared to come to an end, and with it Jacob’s blessing to Judah. But we also know the last king had daughters and Judah had descendants from another son. It is said their marriage continued the Scepter’s reign until Jesus came. But where and over who?
We are certain of God’s promise to bring back His first-born, along with the other tribes, and that both the house of Israel and the house of Judah will once again have one king ruling over them. Recognizing Biblical symbols found in prophetic words, and reflected in creation, may give us clues as we dwell upon God’s mystery of the Scepter and the Birthright.
The Cherubim.
“Their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels. And each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth face the face of an eagle.” (Ezekiel 10:12-14)
We know how the face of the man, lion and eagle would appear, but not a cherub. Men’s imaginations have drawn plump and winged little boys, but somehow that doesn’t fit my mental image of the cherubim that guarded the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24) Others have drawn their conclusions from character traits given through prophecy (Deuteronomy 33), and the way God positioned the tribes, identified by their signs (Numbers 2), around the tabernacle in the wilderness. The most common depiction of the cherub’s face by the ancients is that of a bull.
Four groups of three tribes each surrounded the tabernacle. They were led by Judah whose sign is the lion, Ruben whose sign is a man, Ephraim whose sign is a bull or unicorn and Dan whose sign is an eagle or serpent. Biblical coincidences or a divine pattern? And should it be used to help identify the whereabouts of those who are lost?
Notice the signs given to the four gospel writers? A lion, a man, a bull and an eagle. Another coincidence?
To be continued.
His Family Table 